Automatic car-cager.



J. A. NOLAN.

AUTOMATIC CAR CAGER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1914.

1,14,3?49 Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

' J. A. NOLAN.

AUTOMATIC CAR CAGER. APPLICATION FILED NOV.28, 19m.

1,144,874 Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JANE$i NOLAN, 0F BOWEBSTQZN, OHIO.

auronarxc can-mesa. Y

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1915.

Application filed November 28, 1914, Serial No; 874,519.

As is heretofore constructed, cagers of the automatic type have required a suiiicient grade to enable the finalcar, when released from the holding horns to ride on to the cagevwith suflicient momentum to displace the empty car thereon. This has required a grade throughout the length of the eager greater than actually required for the travel of the cars to the horn, and under the grade requirement the insulation of the automatic eager in some mines has been found equally .diflicult if not impossible.

The'main object of the present invention is the provision of an automatic eager at the final or terminal grade in the tracks arranged adjacent the final horns so that the car held against said'horns will be partially on the final grade. Bythis construction the car when released will be given suiiicient impetus'to displace the empty caron the cage, while at the same time the remaining length of the track of the eager need be given only suflicient grade to carry the cars to the horns.

The invention in the preferred form of details will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the accepted type of eager having my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1." Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tracks with the ca'ging apparatus omitted.

he improvement is designed particularly for use with any ap ropriate type of eager, and in order to effectively describethe improvement, I have shown the same as applied to the accepted type of eager, though it is to lie-understood that it is clearly applicable and designed for use with any and all appropriate types of cagers. In the type of eager illustrated, 1 represents the rails-on which the loaded cars-travel, and between the rails? is mounted any suitable bearings 2,

the operating shaft 3, one end of whichis provided with a trip lever 4 designed to be engaged and operated by the descending cage, the movement of the shaft under the influence of the lever shifting the weight 5 secured to the shaft, which weight operates a return shaft'to normal position upon elevation-of the cage.

Upper and lower horns 6 and 7 arranged in pairs, one horn for each track, are respectively supported upon'shafts 8 mounted in bearings 9 secured to the rails, springs 10 assisting in'returning the horns to normal or car engaging positions. Rods 11 connect the respective horns with the shaft, the .connec-' tion being such that the respective pairs 'of upper and lower horns are-reversely actuated as is usual-inthis type of device. I

As is well understood with the type of eager described, the descending cage depresses the lever 4, opening the horns 7 and closing the horns 6. This frees the car on the track between the horns 6 and 7 and allows such car to ride to the cage. As the cage rises the horns close and the horns 6 open, permitting the next car in line to ride down into contact with the horns 7 for subsequent travel to the cage.

As the car being delivered to the cage is required to displace an empty car thereon, it will be appreciated that the loaded car being delivered must have considerable momentum, and in cagers as previously constructed this momentum has been gained by gradually grading the caging sections of the track. From the necessary impetus required by the car being delivered, the grade of the eager tracks must be a comparatively sharp one, with the consequent objection that the car following the car being delivered will, by reason of such grade, contact with the horns 7 with considerable impact. tending to jar the coal from the car, in the use of the eager in coal mines. Furthermore the grade required is not always possible in the mines and hence, if the eager is used, there is more or less trouble and manual labor in properly placing the car on the cage and the displacement therefrom of-the empty car. In mv improvement I overcome these objections by giving track rails T a downward inclination for that section including terminals of the rails and to and slightly beyond the holding horns 7. The downwardly inclined section 12 of the rails thus provided is at a sharper gradientthan the remaining section of the track, and forms such a section of the main length of the rail that When'the car to be dehvered is in position on said rails against. the lower horns 7, the q forward wheels of the car will be Well upon the sec tion 12 of the rails. As the device is operated, therefore,'the car will be automatically delivered upon opening of the horns 7, and then delivered over a section of track having such a grade as will give-to the car the de-' sired momentum to properly displace the empty car on the cage as is required. The remaining length of the cager tracks may thus be given TflTlCli less grade than usual, in fact just suflicient grade to carry the cars to the horns and therefore avoiding all jars incident to the contact of the cars with the horn and preventing the usual dislodgment of the material.

' The grade at which the section 12 will be arranged will depend upon the character of the cars, the material they are to handle, and the momentum required to displace the empty cars, the present invention contemplating no particular grade for such section except that it be in excess of the normal grade.

What is claimed is 'A- eager including a section of track rails, said rails having their entrant ends and the greater portion of their lengths arranged at a grade corresponding to the grade of the main length of track, the remaining portion of the length of said rails including-the exit ends thereof having a greater gradein the same direction as the remaining lengths of the rails, and holding means cooperating with the rails to engage and retain the car. in position, one of said holding means arresting the car in a position to have one set of Wheels thereof at rest upon that portion of the greater grade, whereby the position of the car body will be such that in the release of the holding means the car will start more readily and with greater speed than in the normal grade of the track.

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses. v

- JAMES "A. NOLAN.

Witnesses:

W. B. LAW, M UI) LAW. 

